Nepal Prime Minister consults parties on extending Constituent Assembly term

Kathmandu, May 14 (ANI): Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal continued consultations with the political parties regarding the Constituent Assembly term extension on Friday as well.

He met the leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janshakti Party, Sadbhavana Party, Nepali Janata Dal, RPP-Nepal, Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal and Nepal Parivar Dal.

Pashupati Shamsher Rana of RPP, Surya Bahadur Thapa of Rastriya Janashakti Party, Rajendra Mahato of Sadbhavana Party, Harischandra Sah of Nepal Janata Dal suggested the prime minister to extend the term by forging consensus among the political parties.

They said the parties need to give a convincing grounds to the people to ensure that they will produce the new constitution in the extended time.

However, Kamal Thapa of RPP-Nepal reiterated his party4s stance to go for fresh elections saying the parties had no authority to extend the Constituent Assembly as people mandated them only for the two-year tenure.

"If it fails to accomplish its mission, elections should be held to seek fresh people's mandate," he said.

Nepal also met Attorney General Bharat Bahadur Karki, Minister of Law and Justice Prem Bahadur Singh and Law Secretary Madhav Paudel in this regard.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala has said that there would be no alternative left but to dissolve the Constituent Assembly if the Unified CPN (Maoist) is not sincere towards the important task of Constitution writing.

"It would be better to dissolve the Constituent Assembly rather than deceive the nation and the people by extending its term," she said, adding that the Constitution will not be written even if the Constituent Assembly 's term is extended unless the Maoists come to an understanding.

She further said that the Constitution could be promulgated within May 28 deadline if the Maoists show flexibility on issues like army integration, Nepalnews reported. (ANI)